How to properly plan a family budget. Key Templates for Budgeting in Excel

Dwight Eisenhower once spoke wisdom that lies at the core of the financial health of every prosperous family.

Hello, friends. Artem Bilenko is with you. I am the author of this blog. Today we will talk about how to distribute the family budget for the month. We will look at examples of several classic schemes in which I will show how to correctly distribute personal finance flows.

After studying the material, you just need to choose the appropriate option, adjust the numbers and start managing your personal finances wisely.

P.S. I recommend paying attention to the site "". Financial literacy is taught here. How to properly manage personal finances in order to save for a house, apartment, car. How to properly invest your accumulated money and increase your income. Allow yourself an annual vacation and travel around the world.

The material in this article is intended for users who have already read all the material in the “Family and personal budget” section. If you are not yet in the know, don’t rush to calculate your home budget. Check out at least five of the posts listed below. They contain the basic theory that helps to plan, distribute and control funds.

1. "Three types of family budget - their advantages and disadvantages."
2. "7 envelopes - a simple and effective method of managing a family budget."
3. “What you should not do when planning a family budget - the 10 most common mistakes.”
4. “How to keep a family budget in a notebook - an example with tables of income and expenses.”
5. “Review of the best free programs for maintaining a family and personal budget.”

Option No. 1. Calculation of a joint family budget

In a joint budget, all income of the spouses is added up and directed to the needs of the family.

With this organization of family finances, money management occurs according to the following scheme:

1. the total family income is determined;
2. spending categories are formed (envelopes will help you here);
3. On the last day, a balance sheet is drawn up, which sums up the results of the month.

Let's see how this algorithm will look in the table.

April 2017
Family income
Type of earnings	Amount, hryvnia
Husband's salary
Wife's salary
Accrued interest on deposit
Total income
Family expenses
Mandatory expenses
Investments
Housing maintenance
Household expenses (food, household chemicals, etc.)
Amount of mandatory expenses	7150 (65%)
Variable spending
Expenses for children's needs
Amount of variable expenses	2750 (25%)
Reserve
Additional expenses (the unused part should be spent on updating your wardrobe)

Option No. 2. Calculation of a separate family budget

In a separate budget, the income of each spouse is divided into two proportional parts, allowing them to pay general and individual expenses.

Schematically it looks like this:

1. spouses determine what part of the personal budget (in percentage) they will spend on paying for the general needs of the family;
2. a category of expenses is formed for which the husband will be responsible monthly;
3. a category of expenses is formed for which the wife will be responsible monthly;
4. the allocated money is spent on targeted needs;
5. each spouse monitors the implementation of his part of the family budget during the month;
6. husband and wife use free money at their own discretion;
7. on the last day of the month the reporting balance is formed.

Let's look at an example.

April 2017
Family income
Type of earnings			Amount, hryvnia
Husband's salary
Wife's salary
Total income
Part of the personal budget that will be spent by each spouse to pay for the general needs of the family
			Wife
Total monthly expenses of each spouse
		Amount, hryvnia			Amount, hryvnia
Investments			Household expenses
Housing maintenance			Fundraising for annual leave
Expenses for children's needs			Additional expenses
Fundraising for major purchases
Total			Total
Personal monthly expenses of each spouse
			Wife
5,000 hryvnia			5,000 hryvnia

Option No. 3. Calculation of the shared family budget

In the shared form of financial management, spouses jointly worry about the needs of the family, but at the same time do not forget to allocate part of the funds for personal needs.

Schematically, such a budget is formed as follows:

1. total family income is summed up;
2. the shares of joint and personal needs are determined;
3. spending categories are formed;
4. funds are distributed for targeted needs;
5. Monitoring of the implementation of the plan is carried out within a month;
6. on the last day, a balance sheet is drawn up to sum up the results of the month;
7. The spouses dispose of the rest of the money at their own discretion.

Let's draw up a rough plan for a shared budget.

April 2017
Family income
Type of earnings	Amount, hryvnia
Husband's salary	7 500
Wife's salary	7 500
Total income	15 000
The share of the budget that will be spent by each spouse to pay for the general needs of the family
Husband	Wife
80%	80%
6000	6000
Joint budget: 12,000 hryvnia
The share of the budget that will be spent by each spouse on paying for personal needs
20%	20%
1500	1500
Family expenses
Mandatory expenses
Investments	1200 (10%)
Housing maintenance (utilities, cable TV, internet, electricity)	2400 (20%)
Household expenses (food, household chemicals, etc.)	4200 (35%)
Amount of mandatory expenses	7800 (65%)
Variable spending
Expenses for children's needs	1800 (15%)
Fundraising for major purchases	600 (5%)
Fundraising for annual leave	600 (5%)
Amount of variable expenses	3000 (25%)
Reserve
Additional expenses	1200 (10%)

Planning horizons

In most cases, violations of the prepared budget are associated with unforeseen expenses that the family was unable to calculate in a timely manner. To reduce the number of such situations to a minimum, you need to plan several months in advance.

Let's look at how this works. We will start from the fact that it is now April 2017.

1st horizon: assessment of unforeseen expenses for 3 months in advance.

Month	Possible expenses	Required amount, hryvnia
May	Two birthdays	2000
	Excursion at my daughter's school	3000
June	Friend's wedding	3000
July	-	-
Analysis
In the next three months, the burden on the budget may increase by 8,000 hryvnia. Without a loan, the family will not be able to pay such expenses. The maximum limit is 3000 hryvnia. This money will be used to pay for the excursion, since a child is more important than an optional wedding and two birthdays.

The second (6 months) and third (12 months) planning horizons will be compiled in a similar way. They allow you to see holes in the budget in advance, take measures to eliminate them, and prepare in a timely manner for difficult financial months.

Conclusion

Friends, now you know how to plan your salary for the next month. Don't neglect the knowledge you've gained, create a spreadsheet and take control of your financial life. After that, tell your friends about the benefits of a family budget and share this article with them.

Almost every married couple faces the problem of lack of money, sometimes there is not even enough money to survive until salary. Why is this happening? There is only one reason - there is no family budget planning. Many people do not take this into account, which is why they face a number of unpleasant problems. It is very important to be able to correctly calculate your income and expenses - this will help you save on unnecessary purchases and collect a certain amount of money, for example, for a vacation abroad or to purchase your own home or car.

Why do you need to plan a family budget and what does it give?

Every family can achieve financial freedom and independence if they learn to spend money wisely. Planning a family budget has a number of significant advantages.

• Control. The husband and wife will always know exactly when and what the money was spent on. There will be no more questions about where the entire salary disappeared a week after the payday.
• Conscious Actions. By planning a budget for several months, a clear picture of income and expenses emerges. In this way, it will be possible to identify unnecessary waste and reduce it to a minimum.
• No debt. Avoiding loans and other debt obligations is not difficult.
• Planning significant purchases. Planning a budget and saving on unnecessary expenses will help you save some money to go on holiday during your holiday. It is possible that taking into account income and expenses will lead to larger acquisitions - a car or your own home.
• "Black day". Nobody knows at what turn troubles will await. It is possible that you will have to quit your job, with money saved up, you will not have to worry about living until a new job.
• Discipline. Planning a family budget brings discipline. This applies not only to unnecessary costs, but also to life situations that a person faces every day.

Important! You shouldn’t turn family budget planning into saving on everything. You need to allocate funds for entertainment and pleasant little things, otherwise life will turn into a routine that is not at all pleasing.

Basic rules for planning a family budget

By following simple rules, you can very quickly learn to increase the difference between income and expenses, saving this money for more significant needs.

Step-by-step planning

1. It is necessary to record the total family income in a notebook every month. Everything needs to be included here - salary, additional income.
2. After the total amount of cash receipts has been calculated, it is necessary to record all obligatory expenses. This includes paying utility bills, kindergarten (school), buying food, car maintenance, and don’t forget to allocate a small amount for leisure time.
3. From the amount of income you now need to subtract the total amount of necessary expenses received.
4. Next you need to think about what to do with the remainder. You can't spend everything at once. It would be best to divide the remainder into two parts. It is advisable to put one aside for a “rainy day”, and put the other somewhere else for unexpected expenses.

Mistakes couples make when planning a budget

Many married couples make simple mistakes when planning their budget, which is why they face financial difficulties long before their next paycheck.

1. You cannot solve problems “as they arise.” If you are planning expenses, you need to save money little by little in advance.
2. Financial decisions cannot be left to just one person.
3. You can’t radically cut expenses or cut down on your leisure time.
4. You cannot remain silent about financial problems; you need to discuss them and look for a way out of the situation together with your spouse.

How to reduce your expenses

There is a simple way to help reduce family expenses.

If a couple has set a clear goal - to collect a certain amount of money for a major purchase, they need to follow the plan. Every month you can set aside 10% of the amount from your salary, the same percentage is set aside from any cash receipts, even if they are insignificant. It seems like a small thing, but over time it accumulates an impressive budget.

1. You need to keep records of expenses and income every month, taking into account all the little things, this is the only way to get a complete picture of the budget and identify unnecessary expenses.
2. Let go of “dreams.” You don’t need to promise yourself to raise a million; goals should be achievable.
3. It is important that both spouses contribute to budget planning, otherwise it will not be possible to reduce expenses.
4. You can open a savings account at a bank and put all the money you save there.

Planning a family budget is not saving, but a real chance to reduce the list of “empty” expenses, learn how to properly use the funds received and direct them in the right direction.

Planning a family budget is an opportunity to effectively manage your money with a positive balance. Planning will be useful not only for those who dream of earning millions, but also for those who simply strive for economic stability. In order to competently plan a family budget, it is not at all necessary to have an economic education or other special skills. First of all, you will need bank statements for the previous few months. It is also important to write down on a separate piece of paper all events in the near future (birthdays, anniversaries, corporate events, trips, insurance and loan payments) that require financial investments. It’s even better to create a special program for these purposes that works on the principle of a calendar.

The main problem for many of us is that we do not always know how to deny ourselves pleasures that go beyond our budget. As a result of our momentary desires, unplanned new things are purchased and parties are held with the last money. However, the sooner you learn the basics of financial literacy, the less often you will have to ask friends for money before payday and pay fines for late loan payments.

Economists say that family budget planning is recommended not only for young families who are just learning how to manage finances, but also for those couples who simply want to improve their financial well-being. The main purpose of budget planning is to enable a person to achieve his intended goal within the planned time frame. According to surveys, most people prefer to live one day at a time, without thinking about what they want in a year or more. This is why our citizens are so willing to take out loans.

For example, a person receives a salary of 30 thousand rubles, while his total credit card debt is about 100 thousand rubles. And it takes him an average of 10 percent of his salary to pay interest on loans. And if, before applying for another loan, a person at home with a calculator had calculated the ratio of his income and expenses, his decision might have been completely different.

Planning a family budget makes it possible to go beyond everyday expenses and concentrate on more global things. In the above-described state of affairs, a citizen’s current expenses take up at least 60% of his budget, and approximately 10% remains for long-term purchases, entertainment, irregular expenses and savings. Obviously, in order for your vacation to be of better quality and your life to be more peaceful, you need to reconsider your spending.

Most economics textbooks say that you should not live on credit. About 20-30% should be invested, and only the remaining money should be spent. Only in this case will the long-term financial balance of the family be positive.

Planning a family budget: budget distribution

Many economists and financiers advise distributing funds in this simple way:

• 60% - basic expenses, food and monthly household expenses;
• 10% - savings that will be used for major purchases or trips;
• 10% - savings with a long-term perspective (education accounts, pensions, etc.);
• 10% - entertainment and pleasure;
• 10% - miscellaneous, unforeseen expenses.

1. Start treating your family budget correctly.
2. Do not overload the family budget with trifles.
3. Pay yourself first, then everyone else.
4. Calculate how much an hour of your life is worth.
5. Don't try to save a lot on small things. Cut big expenses.

How to reach optimal expenses

1) At the beginning of the first month, you draw up a spending plan, roughly estimating where and how much money you need to spend. Then for a month you live according to this plan. If you don’t have enough money for something, you can’t cut yourself some slack and spend more. You need to “enjoy” the consequences of your decisions as much as possible, to deny yourself something. This is very sobering and next month your plan will be more accurate. And of course, don’t forget to set aside at least 10% of your income immediately after receiving your salary.

2) The first month you simply write down where the money goes. At the end of the month, with a 95% probability, you will be shocked by how you manage your personal finances. Many will ask themselves the question: “Where do I find so much money?”

Once you have specific numbers, you can think about how to cut costs. For example, look for a cheaper business lunch or sign up for an economical tariff on your phone, read an interesting book some weekend instead of having fun in a nightclub, etc. In the end, in 3-4 months you will reach optimal expenses.

How to manage your salary increase?

We recommend putting at least half into personal capital and spending only the second half.

Suppose you are used to living on 40,000 rubles a month, at least 4,000 goes to achieving goals and the remaining 36,000 is spent. Your salary was increased by 5,000 rubles. What will the majority do in such a situation? Will increase expenses by this entire amount. But you are used to living on 36,000 rubles. Even 2,500 rubles in addition to expenses will allow you to spend more. But the process of accumulating capital for your goals will go much faster when the monthly invested amount is no longer 4,000, but as much as 6,500 rubles. And so on with all additional income.

Rich people are accustomed to spending less than they earn, and using the difference to create and increase capital. You should follow their example.

Where to plan and calculate a family budget

Be sure to have your home finance plan in place. You can plan a family budget both in Excel and in special programs for maintaining a family budget and personal finances.

Without planning, everything happens spontaneously with money, but you can learn to manage this element.

We are still somehow getting used to regular expenses - they are in the budget for approximately the same amount every month. We know that this money needs to be allocated, period (mortgage, groceries, travel, communications, etc.).

With irregular expenses that do not happen every month, things are usually more dramatic. Every time purchasing New Year's gifts, updating your wardrobe or tires on your car, the question is “Where to find funds”?

The saddest thing is that while we are looking for money for one thing or another, big and cherished dreams remain dreams. Consequently, with global and important goals - a complete fiasco.

Something needs to be done about this. Simply “earning more” does not solve the problem - I have seen this from the experience of thousands of my clients. Only one thing can help here - learn how to manage money.

Namely:

1. Plan your finances.
2. Follow plans.

This is the only way to direct money to what is really important, without allowing it to flow into nonsense, into perishable things.

What can be done to change the situation right now?

I often hear from people that learning to plan money and follow plans is their cherished dream :) And the real problem is how to make this dream come true. Attempts are in vain...

The magic of money management is that big results come from small daily actions, that is, from lifestyle, from habits.

Habits are a mirror in which you can see the future. Right here and now you can change your habits, and therefore change your future.

Three simple habits will help you integrate money management into your daily process:

1. Plan your budget for a month in advance.

2. Set aside money regularly.

3. Keep records of expenses.

Start slowly, small. The main thing is regularity.

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Monthly budget planning technology

First you need to create an average budget.

This is a budget in which all items are averaged over the year. Use Excel. The first necessary tab is “Budget Planning”.

Budget planning is essentially a very simple thing. List your income in one table and expenses in another. Below you see the result - the difference between income and expenses = investment potential = your profit or loss.

Start by filling out your income table. Write down the names of all monthly incomes on the lines and put the amount per month for each. Below, write down irregular income (try not to forget anything) - bonuses, tax refunds, dividends, interest on deposits.

Income can only be classified as money that you can actually spend immediately. If your pension capital has increased, this does not need to be recorded as income when planning your budget. Only the money that is available for use.

Record the regular income that you receive every month in the amount of MONTHLY income (in the “amount per month” column). If you have an unstable income, and there is a radical difference from month to month, you can plan too, moreover, you need planning more than anyone else. Estimate how much you earn on average per year. Accounting accuracy is not needed here; here you need to find guidelines, and for this it is enough to determine the expected income as close as possible to reality.

Irregular income must be recorded in the amount of ANNUAL income (of course, in the “amount per year” column).

By filling out this part of the table, you will see how much you earn on average per month and per year. Perhaps this will make you think seriously :)
The “Expenses” part of the table is filled in automatically when you work with the sections of the adjacent “Expenses Planning” tab. Go to it and fill out everything in order. Record all expenses AS AN AVERAGE FOR THE YEAR.

In monthly entries, write down only those items on which you spend each month plus/minus the same amount - utilities, food, cafes, transport, mortgage. Enter the monthly expense amount in the appropriate column.

And you can write down all irregular items in the annual expenses block. You need to write them down in total (how much you spend per year) in the third and last. column.

The division into “monthly” (regular) and “annual” (irregular) can be done at your discretion, as it is more convenient for you to perceive them.

For example, you usually buy some clothes every month and it’s easier for you to think of it as a regular expense - so write it down as a monthly expense. If you update your wardrobe once or twice a year, it will be more convenient for you to record them as annual ones. This breakdown will not affect the essence of the matter, so don’t worry too much.

When you fill out your expenses, you can look at the next tab, where your budget is formed, and evaluate how much income is left there?

When you complete ALL, look at the consolidated budget - what conclusions can be drawn?

Ideally, if at least 20% of your income remains unspent, it is these funds that you can save for future goals. If you manage to cover your budget with such a profit, you are confident that in the future you will be very rich, all material goals will be achieved, and you will be a completely independent person with unbreakable financial stability.

Based on this “average” budget, you can do two things that are critical to financial prosperity: create a personal financial plan and plan a monthly budget.

Personal financial plan

A personal financial plan is long-term planning that will show exactly how you can achieve your global goals.

Many people say that such a plan is “forks in the water.” Certainly!

A plan is not a rigid concept that is 100% obligatory. It is a landmark that shows where you are and what the outlook is. You have the power to change current conditions, and by looking at the plan you will see how this affects the future. And seeing the future is a gigantic advantage.

You can draw up such a plan with a specialist. Although these calculations are not anything complicated, it is difficult for beginners to do it without practice and skills.

I wish that financial planning was taught in school. Then in our country the majority of people would be wealthy and independent!

The second thing you can do with a medium budget is plan budget for the next month.

You can do this in the “current accounting” tab in the green line at the bottom of the table.

When you have an “average” budget for the year, planning your monthly budget will take a maximum of half an hour once a month! Such a small effort can decisively change a person’s entire life.

It’s better to plan your monthly expenses this way: first, you look at the “average” budget, which reflects all the major goals - a vacation, a car, buying a computer or a training course. You plan how much money (or what percentage of income) you will send there.

You write down these amounts as expenses - in the green line in the columns that you will call these goals.

Then, when all your cherished dreams are planned, put in the budget mandatory expenses and payments - food, transport, utilities.

And thirdly, you decide how much money to spend on entertainment and other expenses.

Such monthly work is VERY sobering; each amount of money begins to be perceived so adequately that mistakes and unnecessary expenses evaporate on their own.

Having made a plan for the month, you now know exactly where and how much money can be spent, and how much can be set aside for goals.

However, the habit of planning will not work on its own. You definitely need to add the habit of saving money.

To acquire such a skill at all, you need to set up a system - HOW and WHERE will you make your regular deductions? Need to decide what to do on a daily basis with the money you need for annual and long-term goals?

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Lay - often associated with eggs :) But the real meaning of this word in this case is literally “to put aside in another place.” If you think that you have had a balance of about 100 thousand rubles on your card for several months. - this is savings, then it is not so.

Such balances on the card are easily spent, most often unnoticed by the owner.

To put aside means to physically separate it from the total amount of money. Once you start using this trick, you will suddenly feel like a wealthier person, because you will have stocks and reserves for all purposes, you will always have money for everything. You won't waste it accidentally.

How to do it? You can do it in different ways, depending on the scale of the goal.

1. Small and “current” expenses

These are small goals and do not have an exact date of purchase, occurring from time to time throughout the year: gifts, clothing, charity, cosmetics, and the like.

They do not require bank deposits or the creation of a multi-currency basket. An envelope in your nightstand will do just fine.

For each goal that you want to highlight from your overall spending, keep an envelope or box. It's better if you decorate it beautifully. The envelope or box must be of very high quality, solid (to last) and beautiful. It is better to put an inscription and pictures on them that reflect the essence of this stash.

Thus, every time you receive income, it is better to immediately put the planned amount into such an envelope.

For example, in a year you spend 30,000 rubles on gifts, that is, on average, 2,500 rubles. per month.

Therefore, you plan 2,500 rubles monthly, even if you don’t need to buy gifts this month. 2,500 rub. you put it in a special envelope (or piggy bank). Then, when you need to buy gifts, you take this stash and spend the right amount from it. Very comfortably.

It is very convenient to create an envelope “To People”. This will be your gift to the world - gifts, charity, helping others...

2. Average goals with a specific date

These are your specific goals for the year - traveling, buying a new computer, furniture.

For such purposes, it is better to open a deposit in the same bank where you have your bank card. I hope your bank card was issued by a reliable bank?

For a bank card that you use regularly, it is better to use cards from reliable banks. If your bank goes bankrupt, you, of course, will not lose your funds, since they are insured by the state up to the amount of 1.4 million rubles. If bankruptcy does occur, your money will not be available to you for some time. Why complicate your life?

Today, almost all banks offer their clients such super-convenient functions as “piggy bank”, “save for a goal”, etc. The point is that you can open a bank deposit directly in your personal account on the website, remotely. You don’t need to go to the bank, look for a specialist, stand in line at the cash desk, etc.

You can choose the deposit that suits you via the Internet. Complete it exactly by the goal implementation date. Usually the offers in this system are not the most profitable, but if you are planning a small goal for the next few months, this does not matter.

So, you open a deposit, as soon as you receive income, transfer a pre-planned amount there. Elementary.

By the way, you can also give these contributions your own names: for example, “In Tenerife”, or “For a new computer”, “For a training course”. Each time you replenish such a deposit, you will be with great pleasure watching how the amount increases, you will directly physically feel how the goal is getting closer.

By the way, it has been noticed: when you take such specific steps towards your dreams, they begin to come to life and quickly come true. After all, you have already created an account with the name of your dream, and there are already some funds on it. And money, as you know, is attracted to money.

The picture shows an example of deposits opened remotely and replenished from a Sberbank card.

The “piggy bank” in this one is a function that you can set up and replenish deposits automatically. It is possible to top up by a certain amount per month, a percentage of each income or expense (except for transfers), etc.

If you set this up, everything happens automatically, of course.

Don’t forget to make such savings accounts as “taxes”, “tires, maintenance, compulsory motor liability insurance”, “VHI and NSHI” (this is health and life insurance, it is better to have such expenses in your budget).

3. Big goals

Here we have goals with a deadline for implementation in several years. This could be: a new car, an apartment, a house, a new business, future investments.

Future investments are your first step towards long-term goals such as children's education, personal retirement capital, a vacation home, and the like.

To successfully realize these goals, over time you will need to learn how to invest your savings in profitable instruments - real estate, the stock market, precious metals and business. The key word here is WITH TIME.

Before you start investing, you need to have at least some capital. For this capital to appear, it is enough to create conditions so that you can easily accumulate it.

A financial plan will help you not to be left without money at the most crucial moment.

The main task when drawing up a personal budget is not just to balance debits with credits, but to wisely distribute expenses so that in the last week before payday you don’t have to borrow or live from hand to mouth.

You can plan your budget in special or any tables - the principle is the same.

As a rule, the main part of the salary is paid not on the first day of the month, but on the 5th, 10th or 15th. Therefore, it will be more convenient to plan a budget not for a calendar month, but for the period from paycheck to paycheck, for example, from March 10 to April 9.

Income

First, you need to record all financial receipts in order to understand how much you have. All sources of income should be taken into account: salary, bonus, part-time work, money from renting out an apartment, and so on. If your income is unstable, it makes sense to form a budget when you know exactly how much you have, for example, on the day the money is received on the card.

Expenses

The items of expenditure that cannot be avoided should be entered first. This list will look something like this:

1. Groceries (including lunches at work if you eat in the canteen).
2. Communal payments.
3. Directions
4. Mobile connection.
5. Internet.
6. Household chemicals.

Naturally, the list of mandatory payments will be different for each person and each family. Tolls may be replaced by gasoline costs. People with chronic diseases will take into account the costs of medicines. The same list will include loan payments, kindergarten fees, and so on. At the same time, the traditional trip to the cinema on Saturdays and similar expense items are not mandatory.

Make it a rule to put money into a “stabilization fund” every month. This can be a fixed amount or a percentage of income.

The amount remaining after deducting mandatory expenses can be dealt with in two ways:

1. You allocate money for entertainment, clothing and various amenities.
2. You divide the remaining amount by the number of days in the month.

With the first method, everything is clear: you determine that you will spend 3,000 rubles on cinema, the same amount on clothes, and so on. The second method is worth considering in more detail.

Let's say you have 15,500 rubles left, and there are 31 days in the month. This means that you can spend 500 rubles daily. At the same time, mandatory expenses are already taken into account in the budget, so this money is intended only for pleasant expenses or force majeure circumstances. Accordingly, if you spend more than this amount per day, then you will go into the red, and at the end of the month you will have to tighten your belt. If you don’t spend anything, then within two weeks you’ll save up 7,000 rubles, which you can spend on something big.

The money remaining at the end of the financial period can be spent or put aside. The first way is pleasant, the second is rational.

How to plan a budget for the year

The annual financial plan will need regular adjustments both in terms of expenses and income, so all columns in it need to be created in duplicate: a forecast and an actual indicator.

Income

If you have a regular income

With a fixed amount of earnings, you simply enter salary and other stable income into the income section. The only thing that will interrupt the usual course of things is vacation pay. Usually, before a vacation, they give you money for the days during which you will rest, but then you will miss a certain amount in your salary. But in general, at the forecasting stage, especially if you are drawing up a budget for the first time, it will be enough to use only the salary amount for all months.

If you have inconsistent income

If income is irregular, there are three ways to forecast income:

1. You are sure that you will receive a monthly amount sufficient to live on, although you do not know its exact amount.

Calculate your average income and use it for calculations. If you earn more than the predicted amount in any month, move the excess to the piggy bank. You will get into it if you earn less than average.

2. You don’t have a regular income, and you’re not sure what you will have.

It is better to take the minimum income as a basis for calculations. In this case, budget planning will become a task with an asterisk, but there will be no financial surprises.

3. Part of your income is stable, but the exact amount of earnings is difficult to predict.

For example, you receive a fixed salary, and the availability of a bonus depends on many factors. Then it’s worth planning your budget so that a stable income covers all your primary needs, and you’ll spend on the rest depending on the situation.

Don't forget to take into account the income that you receive irregularly: a quarterly bonus (once every three months), a tax deduction return (once a year), and so on.

For example, let's take a situation where the majority of income is stable - this is salary. The minimum premium is 3,000 rubles, and we will use this figure in the forecast. We also note that for the anniversary in August they should give at least 20,000 rubles: parents promised 15,000, friends will probably give at least 5,000.

Expenses

When planning expenses, write down mandatory expenses in the month columns: food, utilities, travel, mobile communications, household chemicals, and so on. Please note that in winter utility bills are higher due to heating, and for mobile communications, for example, in May you will spend more because you are going on vacation. These changes must be included in the budget.

So, in the example you can see that the heating season ended in March, so the last increased payment for housing and communal services is scheduled for April. Vacation in May is also reflected. A budget maker is planning to go to visit her grandmother for three weeks. The tickets have already been purchased, so there is no point in taking this expense into account. Housing and communal services are considered according to standards and will not change.

At the same time, our hero will not spend money on travel for three weeks. And he cut his food costs in half: for a week he will eat at home, and will also take on part of the food costs from his grandmother.

The next step is to record obligatory but irregular expenses. Let's say in May you need to pay taxes for your apartment and car, in May you have a vacation, in August you have an anniversary, and in December your gym membership ends. Separately, consider the need to buy gifts for the holidays.

Large expenses can be planned in two ways:

1. Find the entire amount from your monthly budget.
2. Divide it over several months.

The hero of the example used the first method to plan expenses for the anniversary and the second - for compulsory motor liability insurance.

All that remains is to take into account the savings in the budget and calculate the balance. In the example for entertainment, according to the forecast, 8,020 rubles remain (258.7 rubles per day).

Budget adjustment

Every month, after receiving income from all sources, the budget will have to be adjusted to determine the amount that is actually on hand. As information becomes available, it is also worth considering changes in costs.

The person in the example received more than he expected.

He also spent a little less on food and mobile communications, and a little more on housing and utilities. As a result, after all the mandatory deductions, he is left with 12,535 rubles (404.3 rubles per day), which is almost twice as much as the previous result.

It is worth remembering that even if you have been extremely disciplined in adhering to a financial plan, drawn up taking into account all the details, circumstances can seriously adjust the budget. Losing a job, getting promoted, and having a child will all require major changes to your financial strategy. But even a poorly drawn up budget is better than no budget at all.